Lara's New Hobby
by AnUbIs985Demet Acargil
Summary: What happens when Lara gets an offer from a secret government service? Find out!


_**LARA'S NEW HOBBY**_

_By Demet Acargil_

_Part 1_

_May 13, 2004_

_Turkish-Syrian Border _

A container passed through the Turkish-Syrian border by the Ceylanpinar gate. Ali, the container' driver, was singing along with the radio. The container's destination was Damascus, the capital of Syria. Ali had to drive another ten hours, as Damascus was about six hundred kilometers from Ceylanpinar. Ali yawned, trying to chase away his drowsiness. Too bad he didn't notice the car that was coming from the opposite side. The car had tried to overtake the truck in front- obviously; the driver hadn't checked whether the coast was clear.

You'd know how beverage cans look like when you squish them with your foot. That's exactly how the car looked after the collision with Ali's container. As for Ali's container, well, you couldn't resemble it to anything much. But if I must, I think it looked like an accordion. Needless to say, both drivers were killed.

During the scene investigation, something interesting was found. Hidden in a small area inside the container, there was a box with four test tubes. Lab results revealed that that the tubes contained smallpox viruses. The viruses would probably be used as bio-weapons. The police didn't report this to the press in order to prevent panic. However, they _did_ notify CIA and MI6, because the Syrian government didn't want to look as if they were responsible of a possible terrorist attack.

_May 14, 2004_

_Wimbledon, Surrey_

_7:00 am-local time_

A black Rolls Royce parked in front of Lara Croft's mansion. Two men in dark suits emerged from the car and rang the doorbell. Winston, Lara's butler opened the door.

"How may I help you?" asked Winston.

"Sir, I'm Mr. Smith and this is Mr. Johnston," replied one of them. "We must speak to Miss Croft; it's very urgent."

"Certainly. Please come in. I'll go upstairs and check if she's awake."

"My Lady?" Winston called sheepishly as he touched Lara's arm.

Lara groaned and opened one eye. "What's wrong, Winston? Why did you wake me up so early?"

"My Lady, there are two men downstairs who want to speak with you. They said it was quite urgent."

"What do they want?"

"I don't know, My Lady," Winston replied apologetically. "They insisted on speaking to you, you only."

"Very well, Winston. Why don't you serve them tea while I get dressed?"

"Of course, My Lady."

Ten minutes later, Lara was sitting across the men. She gave them an enquiring look. "I believe you gentlemen didn't come for a friendly visit, did you?"

Smith put his teacup down. "Miss Croft, we have heard of your fame as an archeologist. We also researched your background; so we know everything you've been through. How you survived Egypt."

Lara frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. "So?" she asked sternly.

"We want to make you an offer."

"Before you do, I'd like to know who you work for."

"MI6," Smith replied.

Lara's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Why would MI6 want to work with me? Haven't you got any agents of your own? After all, I'm an archeologist, not a spy."

Smith cleared his throat. "We do, Miss Croft, but none of them are as qualified as you. You see, you have plenty of field experience."

Lara gave them a quizzical look instead of saying anything. Her look was enough to tell them that she needed more information.

Johnston spoke up. "Miss Croft, unless you accept our offer, we can't give you any more information."

Lara thought silently for a moment. "All right gentlemen, I accept your offer," she replied with a sigh.

"Excellent choice, Miss Croft," answered Johnston. "We should get going, Miss Croft."

"I thought you were going to tell me what was going on," Lara protested.

"You will learn everything you need in our headquarters. We aren't authorized to give information," Smith replied.

"Very well, gentlemen. Let's go."

_Same day_

_Richmond, Virginia_

_1:00 am_

The phone on Kurtis Trent's bedside table started to ring. Kurtis groaned and rolled over to pick up the phone.

" 'lo?" Kurtis mumbled.

"Trent, this is Aaron. We-"

Kurtis interrupted. "Nox, do you know what time it is? I was dreaming, for God's sake!"

"I don't give a crap about your dream. You need to be at the clubhouse within 45 minutes."

Kurtis sat up in his bed. "Nox, what's goin' on?"

"You know I can't tell you on the phone. I'll fill you in as soon as you some."

"Gotcha. I'm on my way." Kurtis got out of the bed to get dressed.

The 'clubhouse' was the CIA Operations Center in Langley. 'Nox' was Kurtis's boss, Aaron McCoy. Kurtis called him 'Nox' for, well, no special reason. The name just stuck to him. Aaron was the Chief of Operations. It basically meant that he had the privilege to wake people anytime of the day.

None of this was on Kurtis's mind. He grabbed his holster, Baretta pistol, and backpack, then he locked the door. Soon he was on his Harley, speeding through the empty streets.

_Same day_

_MI6 Headquarters, London_

_8:00 am_

Lara was sitting across a tall man in his early forties or late thirties. He had curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. On his desk was a bronze plate with the inscription, _James William Stevenson._ He didn't speak when Lara and the two agents entered the room. Instead, he studied Lara for a while, his eyes twinkling.

Lara was starting to lose patience. However, she spoke up politely: "Mr. Stevenson, I hope you didn't bring me all the way just to check me out."

James smiled, flashing his white teeth. "No, Miss Croft. I was thinking whether we made the right choice or not. As far as I can tell, we have."

"I'd really appreciate if you'd get to the point. No offense, I didn't get my sleep; therefore, I'm feeling rather cranky and impatient," Lara replied.

James lifted his right eyebrow. "What do you know about bio-terrorism, Miss Croft?"

"Only what I've read on papers, mostly conspiracy theories. One of those theories involves attacks to countries like Israel and Turkey. But they can't go _that _far." Lara paused. "Can they?"

James cleared his throat. "Well, they almost _did_ go that far. Yesterday, a traffic accident took place 25 km off the Turkish-Syrian border. A container and a car was involved. Guess what was found during the crime scene research?"

"What?"

"Test tubes. Inside of them were smallpox viruses. Enough to kill thousands. If there had been vaccines, it wouldn't be such a problem. Since 1977, smallpox vaccines haven't been produced."

"Why?"

"Smallpox was last seen in 1977 in Somalia. Health authorities believed that it was eradicated. So, the production of vaccines was stopped. Only USA has these vaccines, but it's inadequate."

Lara jumped in. "So, if nearby countries were targeted, the sight wouldn't be pretty."

"Exactly. Smallpox's death rate is 30-40, but it can lead to blindness, which increases the danger. Vaccine inadequacy simply worsens it."

Lara nodded. "I see. So, where do I come in?"

"We have a contact in Damascus, Syria. You will retrieve information from him. If possible, find documents on manufacturers."

Lara frowned. "You brought me here for _this? _A retrieval job? Anyone else could have done that!"

James shook his head. "No, you're better than four agents put together._ And_ you speak Arabic like a native."

"Stop sucking up on me!" Lara snapped. "I'll go, but I need to know your offer."

James seemed puzzled. "What offer?"

Lara gave out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not going to do this boring retrieval job for free. You know that, don't you?"

"Oh, right! If you succeed, we'll give you €1500."

"€2500. I won't do this cheap, Mr. Stevenson."

"Ok, twenty-five hundred it is," James replied. He pointed to the door on his right. "Johnston will give you your weapons, clothes and passports."

"I have weapons."

James seemed impressed. "What have you got?"

"I'll bring a pair of 9mm Glock pistols, Uzis, a K2 Impactor, and stealth darts with gun."

"Well! I got tired listening! Johnston will give you the rest. Good luck, Miss Croft."

Lara and Johnston stood up and got out of the door, which James pointed. It opened to a small room with many shelves and drawers. Johnston pulled out a drawer and took out passports, an ID, a cell phone and a sheet of paper.

"I have a cell phone," Lara spoke up.

"Our contact will call you from this phone, Miss Croft. Here you are." He handed her the supplies and Lara put them in her backpack.

"I could use a pair of night-vision goggles, if you have any."

"Hmm… Let's see." Johnston opened a drawer and pulled out two pairs of goggles.

"This is the night-vision goggles." He took the other one to show the sticker. "_This _one is for thermal vision." Lara examined the goggles and looked through the lens to test it.

"You should see me as red and yellow blotches, Miss Croft."

"Yes, I do." She paused to scan the room with the thermal goggles. "This should come in handy."

Johnston touched his forehead as if he remembered something. "Oh, by the way, you might need this." He handed her a decoder. "If those files are encrypted, this is what you'll need." Suddenly, he changed the subject. "In Damascus, you are Fatima Ramani. You can read your bio during the rest of your journey. At noon we'll pick you up and take you to a British AFB in Damascus."

"All right. Is there anything else I should know?"

Johnston scratched his head as he thought for a minute or so. "Well, I don't need to tell you the importance of this mission. Just try to get it as soon as possible, as CIA an MOSSAD are also aware of this situation. The Syrian government notified us so they wouldn't be held responsible of a possible bio-terrorist attack," Johnston replied.

"I understand. I should go home and start packing. I'll see you at noon."

"I don't think so, Miss Croft. Someone else will pick you up. And one other thing, if anything goes wrong, you were never here, these conversations never took place, Smith and I never picked you up," Johnston warned.

"I know. Take care of yourself, in that case." Lara smiled weakly and left the room."

_05.14.2004_

_CIA HQ Langley, VA_

_1:50 am_

"You're late, Trent," Aaron 'Nox' McCoy grumbled.

"Sorry, Nox. Got here as fast as I could. What's up?" Kurtis lit his cigarette and took a puff.

Aaron frowned. "I don't want you smoking near me. You can fill your lungs with tar as much as you like, but do it away from me." He gave Kurtis a dirty look.

"Lemme finish this one. So, what's the matter?"

"Mid-East is brewing again."

Kurtis smiled sarcastically. "What else is new?"

"This time it's a bit different. You know smallpox?"

"Yeah, so? Wasn't it wiped off?"

"Not totally. Some terrorists bought a few test tubes full of these viruses. The container that was carrying it was involved in an accident, near the Turkish-Syrian border. Fortunately, the tubes weren't damaged. We suspect that this _certain_ person wanted to attack hostile neighbors."

"I have a feeling you guys found out who's behind this." Kurtis put his finished cigarette in the ashtray, which was on a coffee table.

"It's our best friend, Ahmed El-Tabibi and his orchestra."

Kurtis grinned crookedly. "Is he still hooked on Turkey and Israel?"

"Yep. His obsession to eradicate Turks and Israelis grew more than ever, especially since Turkey became a candidate to join the European Union. He thinks Turks are American Muslims, that they should be banished off the Middle East. As for Jews, well, our pal Ahmed thinks that this American-built government's people should go back to where they belong."

"Which is…?"

"Hitler's concentration camps," Nox replied.

Kurtis was getting impatient. "So, what is my mission?"

"You will go to Damascus and kill Ahmed, before he kills our allies. While you're at it, retrieve documents about that shipment. We need to find out everything we can about the company that produced it, where it's located, who owns it, you get the idea."

"Sure, no problem," Kurtis replied and yawned.

Aaron spoke up again. "One other thing, you'll find this very amusing. The Syrian government also notified MI6; guess who's assigned?"

"Don't tell me it's James Bond!" Kurtis joked.

"Even more outrageous. They assigned Lara Croft, that famous archeologist."

Kurtis's eyes widened with surprise. "They assigned _Lara_?"

Nox grinned. "Have you two met?"

Kurtis lit another cigarette, ignoring Aaron's killer look. "Before I joined CIA, I was searching for the person that killed my father, remember?"

Nox nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Well, it turned out Lara was after the same person. We helped each other on finding Eckhart, the guy who did this to us. We were just partners."

A meaningful smile formed on Nox's lips. "It seems to me, she was a little more than a partner, am I right?"

Kurtis frowned and took a puff from his cigarette. He watched the smoke go up to the ceiling. "I don't need to hide that I found her attractive. I think she found me attractive too, but before we could talk about it, she left Prague and returned to England. Needless to say, we lost touch."

Aaron stared at him thoughtfully. "I could assign another person if you're going to be uncomfortable." His expression was serious. "But you know, you're the best one in our hands."

"Nah, I can handle it. Besides, I'll be done before she arrives. Speaking of, when will I leave?"

Aaron studied Kurtis's chestnut hair and blue eyes. "First, go dye your hair black and put on dark-brown contact lenses. You don't want to look like a tourist and attract attention, do you?"

"Of course not. I should get going," Kurtis said in an aloof manner.

"Just be back at 6 am."

"No problem. Later, Nox!" Kurtis walked out of Aaron's office.

Kurtis got out the shower and looked in the mirror to check out his new hair color. "Hmm, not bad," he said to himself. He got out the bathroom, and plopped himself on his bed. Staring blankly at the ceiling, he thought about Lara._ Of all these people, why Lara?_ He thought. _Anyway, I'll probably finish before she even arrives. So I don't even have to worry. _Soon he was asleep.

_Lara's Home-Wimbledon, Surrey_

_9:00 am_

Lara stepped down the black Rolls Royce that had picked her up earlier. She went up to her room and started packing. She put her cat suit, a black caftan, a long black kerchief to cover her head (In Syria, it was a rule), combat boots, a bungee cord, her holsters, the K2 Impactor, a pair of Uzis, stealth darts and gun, and her trusty companions, a pair of 9 mm Glock pistols with silencers. She didn't worry about food, as she could buy from Damascus. But she put a box of Cadbury's Milk Tray-that was her favorite thing in the world._ I'm all set,_ she thought. She lay on her bed to get some sleep, but couldn't bat an eye. She sighed and went down to the assault course to practice.

It was noon when Lara took a break. She brought her suitcase downstairs, had some lunch and went back to her assault course. She had just dived in the pool when Winston came.

"My Lady, a gentleman has come to pick you up," Winston called out to her. So Lara hoisted herself out of the pool and dried up; she was ready to leave. Instead of the Rolls that had picked her up before, a sky-blue Mini Cooper was waiting outside.

"My, MI6 certainly has a taste for cars!" Lara remarked. The driver smiled faintly. "Miss Croft, we may leave when you're ready. I put your suitcase in the boot," he said.

"Let's go." Lara got in the car and waved goodbye to Winston as the car started. Soon they were out on the highway. Lara started to read the bio, which Agent Johnston had given her.

"_Fatima Ramani. Date of birth, 04/14/1969. Place of birth, Damascus, Syria. Was married to Riza Ramani, a heart surgeon. Riza died in a traffic accident. Fatima's a graduate from University of Ankara, Turkey. Has major degree on archeology. Has doctoral degree on Mesopotamian cultures. Last place she worked, Al Hadr, Iraq. Searched for Babylonian artifacts."_

Lara stopped reading and looked out the window._ Fatima Ramani, we have quite a bit in common,_ she thought. She watched the changing landscape during the rest of the trip.

It was 2:30 pm when they reached the Royal Air Force Base. A helicopter was waiting for them. Lara got out of the car and stepped in the helicopter; the driver handed her the suitcase. The chopper took off immediately. Not a word was said-no one could hear each other anyway.

_CIA HQ-Langley, VA_

_5:30 am_

Kurtis entered Aaron's office. "Hey Nox, what's up?" He sat on a couch across Aaron's desk.

Nox studied Kurtis's black hair and dark brown 'eyes'. He grinned approvingly. "Your own mother wouldn't recognize you!" He said with a satisfied voice.

"Thanks. We should get going, shouldn't we?" Kurtis replied.

Aaron nodded. "Follow me. By the way, you have your 'ID's and 'passports', don't you?" He asked while they were walking to the hangar.

Kurtis grinned. "I'm one step ahead of ya."

Aaron frowned. "You should be one step ahead of Ahmed El-Tabibi, too. Not to mention Lara Croft." He paused. "Why did they choose her, out of all those agents? It doesn't make sense."

Kurtis snickered. "Considering what happened at Egypt, MI6 probably thought Lara was immortal or something. The pyramid she was excavating in collapsed, and she got out without a nosebleed. The British press had a field day with that event, as far as I can remember."

They reached the small hangar that was inside the HQ. A cargo plane was waiting for Kurtis. Aaron turned to Kurtis and handed him a laptop. His expression was dead serious. "Come back alive, Trent."

"You betcha," Kurtis murmured. They shook hands and Kurtis got in the plane.

_Damascus, Syria_

_6:00 am_

Lara had settled in the Al-Jizah Hotel, with her new name Fatima Ramani. She was supposed to wait until the contact called her. So she took a shower and unpacked her small suitcase. The cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Lara said in Arabic.

"Ms. Ramani, I'm Mr. Hussein; I believe your boss mentioned. I'm sorry I couldn't come to pay my respects; I wasn't in town. I just arrived yesterday and I'd like to visit you, if you are available of course," a masculine voice said in Arabic.

"I'm in town for the night, I won't be staying long. I need to get back to Iraq."(_I could get an Oscar for this,_ Lara thought in the meanwhile.)

"I see. Where can we meet?"

"There's a restaurant across the Al-Jizah. We can meet there."

"Excellent. I'll meet you in, hmmm, fifteen minutes at the entrance."

"All right, I'll see you then." Lara hung up and started to get dressed. She put on her cat suit and combat boots, strapped her holsters on her thighs and put her Glock pistols in them, put on her caftan over her cat suit, covered her head with a kerchief- she was all set. Lara got out of the hotel and crossed the street. A tall man with black hair, brown eyes and a stubble beard was waiting at the entrance. He approached Lara and shook her hand.

"Ms. Ramani, I'm deeply sorry for your loss. May your husband rest in peace. He was a good man."

Lara lowered her eyes to look at the sidewalk. With a choked voice, she said: "Thank you, but I'd rather not talk about it; my wound is still fresh." Lara changed the subject. "Let's go in, shall we? I'm feeling quite peckish."

They went in and sat down, both ordered falafel. When the waiter left, Hussein started talking in a low voice.

"This is the place where everything is." He handed Lara a batch of papers under the table. "These are the photos taken and documents written by a mole. The building's used as a clinic, but it's really Ahmed's base."

Lara peeked at the papers. "This building's a block ahead. When would be the right time to go?"

"Tonight, Ahmed and his men won't be there. You can go in then," Hussein replied.

By then, their meal had arrived. Both ate in silence. When they finished, Hussein pain the bill and they left. When they were outside, Hussein turned to Lara and said: "Ms. Ramani, as I said before, I'm deeply sorry for Riza. He was a good man."

"Thank you," replied Lara.

"Take care of yourself. Please call me if you need anything."

"Thanks; that goes for you too."

Hussein looked Lara right in the eye. "Be careful," he whispered. Then he turned and left.

Lara went up to her room and sat on her bed, examining the papers Hussein gave. According to what was written, there was an opening between the roof and the computer room. The room's height was about four meters, the same length of Lara's bungee cord. The files in the computers-there were ten- would probably be encrypted. She remembered her decoder; that would come in handy.

Since the clinic was only a block away, getting there wouldn't be a problem for Lara. She decided to get there by the roofs. Since all the roofs were flat in Damascus, it would be easy._ Now that I've made my plan, I can get some rest,_ thought Lara. She turned off the light and closed her eyes, but couldn't sleep again. She tossed and turned until she got tired.

The cargo plane which Kurtis was in landed just outside Damascus at 6:00 pm. The place it landed was an AFB, so confidential that only the President, CIA and the employees knew its existence. Kurtis jumped off the plane and waved goodbye to the pilot. He approached a small building and entered. That building was the control tower and Kurtis was supposed to have an update on the mission. A gray-haired man was sitting behind a desk, looking at his computer screen. When Kurtis entered, he lifted his head up and gave a faint smile.

"Good evening, Mr. Trent. I'm Capt. Darren Richardson."

"Nice to meet you, Captain. Are you the person who's going to update me?"

"Yes, Mr. Trent-"

"It's Kurtis, _please._"

"Of course, Kurtis. The place you're supposed to go to is a clinic, located a block away from the Al-Jizah Hotel. Right here." He pointed a square on the computer screen.

"A clinic, huh?"

"It's a front, of course. El-Tabibi keeps his secret documents there. Tonight, the place will be empty. Ahmed gave his people a night off so they could visit their families."

Kurtis smirked. "He's quite nice, isn't he?" A crooked smile formed on his lips.

Darren went on. "There will probably be guards to cover the door. But I don't think they will be a problem."

Kurtis nodded. "Nothing I can't handle. If there's nothing else, we'd better get going."

"Certainly. This way." Darren got up and opened the door across the one Kurtis entered. "We arranged a car to take you to a motel near the clinic."

Kurtis looked at him questioningly. "Why not the Al-Jizah? Is it because of the luxury?" He asked teasingly.

Darren frowned. "Lara Croft's staring there," he replied.

Kurtis let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head. "This isn't good. Anyway, we should get going."

Darren nodded. "Follow me." They hopped in the Hummer Jeep that was waiting for them. The jeep headed towards Damascus.

About forty-five minutes later, Kurtis was at the motel's reception desk, signing in his name as Abdulkadr Sallah. He got his keys and climbed to the fourth floor, entered the second door on the left and shut it. _Almost like home,_ Kurtis thought. "Let's see what we can do till midnight," he muttered. He opened the laptop and started examining the files Darren had given him. They couldn't find much about the manufacturers, only that it was in Belarus, that it was a medicine company. Kurtis frowned. _If they found out the company's location, how come they couldn't find its name? This doesn't make sense, _he thought. Such thoughts went through his head as gazed out the window, eating a chocolate bar. He sighed._ If those test tubes hadn't been_ _found, all these people would be sick. Why can't these terrorists let go of all this crap and let people live in peace? All this is simply foolish,_ he kept thinking. He looked at the clock mounted on the wall. It showed 7:15._ Might as well have a nap._ Kurtis laid on the bed and closed his eyes.

_Midnight_

Lara stood on her balcony; ready to jump across .She did and grabbed a drainpipe. Quickly, she climbed to the top and took off her caftan, and then she stuck it in her backpack. She went to the other side of the roof and jumped to the next one._ This was a piece of cake,_ she thought as she landed. Putting on her night-vision goggles, she surveyed the area and noticed that people were getting out of the 'clinic'._ Just in time,_ Lara thought. _And I only have two buildings to go._ She tossed her braid back and jumped across. Finally, she had reached the roof of the clinic. Her eyes darted around, looking for a place to fasten her cord. Luckily, a nail was protruding near the opening. She fastened one end of the cord there and clipped the other end on her belt. Lara went down slowly and landed softly. Hoping that she wouldn't attract attention, she turned on one of the computers. While the computer was loading, she looked through the glass on the door, trying to see if anyone was coming her way. A light bulb went on her head when she noticed the black copying paper and tape. So she taped the paper on the keyhole and the glass she looked through earlier. She stuck the rest of the paper underneath the door._ Now, no light will go through,_ she thought gladly. By then, the computer had finished loading, so she sat down and examined the files. There was nothing on the first computer. She turned it off and tried another one._ "_Nothing here," she murmured softly. Lara's luck changed at the fifth computer she tried. Suddenly, funny symbols filled the screen. Lara fastened the decoder behind the CPU and put a CD in the tray. She patiently waited during the decryption.

The guard outside the clinic was sitting on the steps, looking at the empty street. He noticed an old man with a hunched back. He was dressed in tatters and was mumbling to himself. The old man approached the guard.

"Good night, my son! Do you have any bread? I'm extremely hungry," the old man said with sad eyes.

The guard nodded. "Wait here, I'll get some from the kitchen." He got up to open the door. Before he could understand what had happened, he was lying on the ground with a bullet hole in his skull.

Kurtis took off his rags and straightened up._ That was too easy,_ he thought. He took out hid lock pick. Normally, he'd simply kick the door down, but for some reason, he wanted to play it safe. The door opened with a click and Kurtis went in and quietly shut the door. He took off his contact lenses and rubbed his eyes._ Man, do they itch!_ He thought. He slowly went towards the computer room.

Lara's ears pricked up when she heard the footsteps in the corridor. She took out her pistol and fastened the silencer. She went to the wall adjacent to the door, pressed her back against it and started waiting. As the footsteps came closer, her heart started beating faster. The doorknob turned slowly. Lara aimed her pistol at the door, ready to shoot whoever entered the room. But she wasn't ready the_ particular_ person who just got in.

Lara and Kurtis gaped at each other in shock. Lara was first to break the silence. "Bloody hell! What are you doing here?"

Kurtis frowned. "You're not supposed to be here," he replied sternly.

Lara squinted her eyes. "What do you mean I'm not supposed to be here? Of course I'm supposed to be here," she retorted angrily. She pointed at him with her pistol's muzzle. "What are _you_ doing here? Don't tell me you dreamed about me last night and found me here!"

Kurtis's lips curved up. "I didn't need to dream about you, Lara sweetheart. I_ knew_ you would be here.

Lara understood what this was all about. "You're CIA, aren't you?"

"And _you're_ MI6." Kurtis motioned his head to the open computer screen, which was still decrypting the files.

Lara smiled. "Sorry dear, finders keepers!" She kicked him in the groins. Kurtis moaned with pain and bent over. Lara lifted her bent knee to hit him it the face, but Kurtis grabbed his knee and both stumbled to the floor. After a struggle, Kurtis pinned Lara to the floor, using his weight to prevent Lara from getting up. He grabbed her wrists.

"Get off me, you imbecile!" Lara muttered angrily through clenched teeth, trying to get up.

"No way. Not unless you promise to behave. From now on, we work together. I don't care who works for whom. From now on, we're in this together." He looked at Lara straight in the eye to show that he meant business. "Now, are you going to be a good girl?"

Lara huffed and glared at Kurtis. "Fine. Just get off, will you?" Kurtis released Lara's hands. Lara punched him in the nose.

"_OW!_ You know Lara, you have some serious issues," he said as he rubbed his nose.

"Just be quiet, will you? You're whining like a big baby." Suddenly, her angry expression changed into a sad one. "Please, don't make this any more difficult," she murmured softly.

Kurtis gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean?" (He actually knew what Lara meant, but he wanted her to say so.)

"The Louvre," she murmured softly.

There was a long silence; you could only hear the humming of the computer. "We need to talk about that. But not now, later," Kurtis said firmly.

Lara didn't reply. Instead, she went to check the computer. The decryption was complete. "What do you know about all these?" she asked Kurtis, showing the files.

"That you should copy them to that CD," Kurtis answered teasingly.

Lara closed the tray and rolled her eyes disgustedly. "Very funny. If we're going to work together, we need to exchange information, don't we?" She lifted her left eyebrow as she looked at him."

Kurtis sighed. "I'll fill you in when we get outta here."

"Fair enough. By the way, did you get rid of the guard at the front?"

Kurtis couldn't help boasting. "Yeah, it was pretty easy."

"That's not what I meant. Is the body still outside?" She paused. "It had better not be."

Kurtis gave her a sheepish look. "Oops."

"Go hide it in the alley!" Lara exclaimed. Kurtis got up and left. Lara clicked the 'copy' button on the screen and all the files were done so. Lara stood up and pulled down her cord, which was still dangling from that nail. She took out her CD from the tray and turned off the computer. She headed outside. Lara grabbed her guns when she heard a crack from the alley. She was relieved to see that it was Kurtis.

"Relax princess, it's me!" Kurtis exclaimed.

Lara put her pistols back in her holsters. "You should be careful, Kurtis. I could've killed you!"

"Yeah, whatever. Should we go to your place or mine?" He paused. "Mine is closer." He pointed to a building across the street. When he noticed Lara's hesitation, he said: "Look, Lara, I know that there's some tension in the air. But we're adults, for crying out loud, we can handle it."

Lara sighed. "Fine, let's go to your place."

The clock on the motel room showed 1:30 am when Kurtis and Lara entered his room. Kurtis sat on his bed and Lara sat on the couch nearby. Lara handed Kurtis the CD and he opened the laptop. At the same time, Lara's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered in Arabic, just in case.

"Ms. Ramani, Hussein here. I hope I didn't wake you up."

"No, I was just about to turn in." Kurtis looked up curiously. Lara shook her head as if to say 'none of your business', so he went back to work.

"Right. I just wanted to check on you. Good night." Hussein hung up and Lara put the phone back in her backpack.

Kurtis called out to her: "Lara, check this out." Lara sat on the bed, trying to ignore the scent of Kurtis's aftershave. "What have you got?"

"Info on the manufacturer. The company's name is Fyederovsky Inc. It's a medicine company, owned by Krzysztof Fyederovsky. It makes the usual, medicines, vaccines, condoms, etc. It's located in Dzerzhinsk, Belarus. Ahmed, our pal, ordered these two weeks ago."

Lara was chewing hr lower lip thoughtfully. "You know, this company would make quite a profit if that attack had taken place."

Kurtis caught up with Lara. "If they had managed to turn smallpox into an epidemic, they'd get orders from all around the continent, the world even."

Lara nodded. "Since there aren't a sufficient number of vaccines, these companies literally would swim in money." She paused and shook her head disgustedly. "I despise people who plan to kill others just for money."

Kurtis shrugged. "There's more. Fyederovsky is a part of the Belarus Mafia. The Mafia may be using the company as a front, but that's my theory. Another theory of mine is this: Ahmed has contacts in the Belarus Mafia. This is why he ordered these viruses from him.

"Well, that makes sense," Lara replied. Then she furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. "The deeper we dig, the messier it is." She let out a frustrated sigh. "So, what do we do? I mean, CIA and MI6 don't know we're together. They don't know all this." She paused and rubbed her forehead. "Why don't you copy the files on your computer? I should get going." She stood up. "I'll need to fill the boss in. Are we going to tell them about us?"

Kurtis stared at Lara as if the answer was within her. "I don't think that would be a good idea. They warned us against each other and we're working together. Let's not tell them. But we should stay in touch." He took out a pen and a piece of paper, and then wrote his cell phone number. He showed it to Lara. "This is my cell." Lara copied the number, and then she wrote hers on the same piece of paper (her _own_ number, not the one MI6 gave). "After you save it, don't forget to burn the paper." She put on her caftan, covered her head and stood up to leave. She glanced at Kurtis. "See you."

"Later," he replied. He turned off the laptop and burnt that paper. Then he lit a cigarette.

Lara traced her steps back to the Al-Jizah and climbed up to her balcony. She opened the door and plopped down on her bed._ I'll call James in the morning,_ she thought. Her eyelids closed, but she couldn't sleep. There were too many questions on her mind.

Kurtis dialed Nox's cell phone.

"Aaron McCoy," he grumbled.

"Hey, it's me. I got what you need. It's safe."

"That's great. Listen Kurtis, there's been a change of plans."

Kurtis raised his eyebrows. "What's up?"

"MI6 found out you're there. The head of CIA and MI6 decided to work together, as it concerns Israel and Turkey."

"So?"

"So, you're supposed o contact Lara Croft. From now on, you're partners."

"Fine. Anything else?"

"Our mole from El-Tabibi's group called us. El-Tabibi's coming back to the clinic tomorrow. He's going to tell us the exact time later."

"Do you still want us to get rid of him?"

"No, you will kidnap him. We want to 'have a chat' with him. When you have him, contact Capt. Richardson. I also want the files you found."

"Sure thing, I'll send them now."

"Great." Aaron hung up. Kurtis turned on the laptop and hooked up the phone cord. Then he sent an e-mail, which contained the files to Nox. He turned off his computer and called Lara to give her the news. The phone opened after the third ring.

"Kurtis, what now? I was about to sleep! I know you miss me, but it's only been half an hour," she joked.

Kurtis ignored the joke. "Did anyone call you from MI6?"

"Yes,_ partner_. Unnecessary as it is, I don't really mind. I just increased my commission, instead." Lara chuckled softly.

"What for? Aren't you rich enough,_ My Lady?_"

"Kurtis, I'm supposed to work with you and that's not my style. I work alone, everyone knows that. Normally, I wouldn't even charge the government, but they deserve a mild punishment for the inconvenience they've caused."

Kurtis interrupted her. "Did they tell you that we're supposed to abduct Ahmed El-Tabibi?"

"Yes, they'll tell me the time later."

"Ok, then. Goodnight, Lara. Don't forget to dream of me." He chuckled softly.

Lara rolled her eyes. "If that would happen, it would be a nightmare, Kurtis darling," she retorted. "I'll call you in the morning."

"Ok." Kurtis hung up and went to bed.

Lara didn't like it one bit. She wasn't crazy about working with a partner, and Kurtis wasn't making it any easier for her. But she couldn't go against the wishes of The Prime Minister, could she? As a result, she was stuck with Kurtis. With these thoughts racing from her head, she got up and poured herself a cup of tea. She went out on the balcony, sat on a chair and watched the darkness ahead. There were only stray dogs on the streets; they were growling at one another. That was the only sound she could hear, except for the buzzing of the street lights. Only natural, it was 3 o'clock. Lara wanted to sleep like the city but after what happened in Egypt, she had become an insomniac. Whenever she closed her eyes, it seemed as if the ceiling above her was going to crumble. This would happen especially when she was on a mission. The thought of missions brought back other things she was trying to forget; particularly, what had happened at the Louvre. The more she tried to forget it, the more the memories came back to haunt her. And it wasn't just about Kurtis. Lara still couldn't get over Werner's death. Deep down, she knew that Von Croy had tried to save her. She could _almost _forgive him, if he hadn't tried to end the world. Lara sighed softly. _When this is all over, I should see a therapist,_ she thought. She lifted her cup, only to see that her tea was finished. She went inside, plopped herself on the bed, hoping to see nice dreams, rather than nightmares about pyramids collapsing.

Kurtis's alarm clock started to beep loudly at 7 o'clock. Kurtis moaned as he searched for the clock. He realized that it had fallen on the floor. He got up, shut the alarm and went to the bathroom to take a shower; Kurtis needed to wake up. He had funny dreams involving Lara and he and needed to forget it. Before he could turn on the faucet, his cell phone started to ring. He picked up his phone.

"I told you I'd call you in the morning," Lara said cheerfully, trying to hide her drowsiness.

"You're a true lady, My Lady," retorted Kurtis.

"Cut it out, will you?"

"You started it."

"Anyway, I need you to update me. MI6 didn't tell me anything much, so you're the guy with the news."

"Why don't you come over? It might not be appropriate on the phone, someone might be listening."

"Ok, I'll be there in twenty minutes." She hung up.

Twenty minutes. Kurtis went in the shower and was out in five minutes. He got dressed and waited for Lara to come. He couldn't help feeling the way he did; like a teenager on his first date. It was dumb, he knew it but he just couldn't help it. He checked himself in the mirror and splashed on some aftershave. There was a knock on the door.

"Kurtis, it's me, Lara." Kurtis opened the door and Lara entered. When she took off her caftan and kerchief, Kurtis noticed that she was wearing the exact same outfit she wore when he saw her for the first time. Lara had wanted to talk to him but he had told her off.

Lara didn't like the way Kurtis was looking at her- as if he had seen her for the first time. "Please, don't look at me like that."

Kurtis shook his head to chase away the memories. "Sorry. Have a seat. Would you like some coffee?"

"No, thanks. MI6 called me before I left."

"And?"

"The mole has contacted them. Ahmed will arrive at noon; but we can't do anything during the work hours. The place really runs as a clinic; we can't risk the patient's lives."

Kurtis nodded. "You're right. Until then, let's talk."

Lara was starting to feel uneasy. "About what?"

"Us."

Lara shrugged. "Ok, fire away."

"Look, I'm interested in you. When I'm around you, I feel things I've never felt before. I know you're interested in me too, you can't deny that."

"You know Kurtis; you have a very high opinion of yourself." Lara smiled weakly.

"But you can't deny that we're attracted to each other. Can you?" Kurtis raised his eyebrows and waited for her response."

"No, I can't." She sighed. "But what are we supposed to do? Do you want us to date? How can we, living in two different continents? Are we going to fly across the Atlantic to meet for lunch? Face it, we have no future together."

Kurtis was determined to break Lara's shell. "I could quit CIA and move to England. It may take time to get used to Yorkshire pudding, but I can handle it."

Lara shook her head. "I can't ask you that; it's too big a sacrifice. Besides, CIA won't let you go. They won't."

Kurtis rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Lara, is the future important? Why don't we just forget the future?"

Lara let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you mean a one-night stand sort of thing? That's not for me. If such a thing happens between you and me, there'll be unfinished business between us. Admit it; you're not the one-night stand type anyway."

He shrugged. "You're right. So, what'll we do?"

"I don't know. I just don't know. Maybe I could come to the States for a while. But I'm not sure; I need to think."

"Ok, don't rush it." Kurtis held Lara's hand but she pulled away. "I don't want to force you into anything."

Lara grinned. "Thanks, I appreciate it." She rubbed her forehead while searching for a way to change the subject. "Let's watch the telly. Maybe we'll find something interesting." Kurtis turned on the TV. On the first channel, there was a game show. Kurtis zapped to another channel. There was a newscast about El-Tabibi. Both of them straightened up to listen.

The TV announcer was speaking: "Local rebel Ahmed El-Tabibi has declared Jihad against the Western countries. In the press meeting that he organized, he stated: 'We must stop these filthy imperialists before they turn us into slaves. I invite all my Muslim brothers to fight these global devils.' Now, for the weather report-"

Kurtis turned off the TV. "Why don't any of these morons say something different?"

"I don't know. Funny thing is, in Islam killing is a sin, whatever the reason is."

Kurtis was impressed. "Well, someone's done their homework."

"I was interested in theology for a while. You know, after Egypt."

He nodded. "I see." He studied Lara's tired face. "You didn't sleep last night, did you?"

"No." She turned her gaze away from Kurtis. "A haven't been sleeping well since five years."

Kurtis pointed the bed. "You should rest; you're going to need energy."

Lara rolled her eyes. "You sound just like my butler!"

"Well, he has a point. C'mon, you really need some sleep." He noticed Lara's hesitation. He put his hand on his heart. "Lara, I promise to be a perfect gentleman. I'll just sit and watch TV-or telly, as you Brits call it."

"Ok then." Lara lay on his bed and closed her eyes. For the first time in five years, she quickly fell asleep. Kurtis turned on the TV and watched a documentary about lions killing zebras. It was so boring that Kurtis dozed off.

"Kurtis, wake up!" Lara poked him on the chest.

"Huh? Where am I?" Kurtis mumbled.

Lara kept poking him. "Come on, get up. We're supposed to get going!"

Kurtis groaned as he got up from the couch. "I need to wash my face."

"Be quick!" While Kurtis went in the bathroom, Lara got prepared. She loaded her pistols and fastened the silencers. She also loaded her Uzis and dart gun. Lara stood up, put on her caftan and covered her head. She sat on the bed and waited for Kurtis to come out. He came out five minutes later.

"I see you're ready."

"We can leave when you are," Lara replied. Kurtis fastened a silencer on his Baretta pistol. He put some grenades in his backpack.

"Kurtis, are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Don't worry, those are gas grenades, it releases ether and makes people pass out. Here, you'll need these." He handed her a gas mask and a headphone.

"Thanks." Lara put them in her backpack.

Kurtis stood up. "I'm ready, let's go." Lara got up and followed Kurtis out the door. The clock on the wall showed 5:30.

Lara and Kurtis crossed the street. Lara made sure she was ten steps behind Kurtis; it was a rule in Syria. Kurtis dove into the alley next to the clinic; Lara followed him. A couple meters later, Kurtis stopped and pointed the fire escape ladder above them. Lara nodded and jumped up and started to climb. When Lara was halfway there, Kurtis jumped up and climbed up. When she reached the roof, Lara took off the caftan and kerchief; she stuck them in her backpack. Then she took out her pistols and stuck them in the holsters, and then she put the dart gun in her denim jacket's pocket. Kurtis took out his Baretta and put it in his holster. He put on the headphone and motioned Lara to do the same. She nodded and put them on her head.

Kurtis peered down from the opening and motioned that two people were in the room. Lara nodded and took out her dart gun. She went beside Kurtis and aimed._ Pfft! Pfft!_ The two men fell on the floor. They first started to have convulsions, and then foam started to come out of their mouth. Both groaned and gave their last breath in silence.

"Ok, let's go," whispered Kurtis. Lara took out her cord and repeated what she did the previous night. She pointed at Kurtis, then the opening. Kurtis clipped on the cord to his belt and lowered himself down. Lara grabbed the edge and let go. Both landed softly.

"Let's split apart," Kurtis whispered.

"No, that's not a good idea. We should cover each other. We need to be together."

"Glad you figured that out," Kurtis muttered under his breath. Lucky for him, Lara didn't hear him. They heard three people talking outside. Their conversation was like this (in Arabic, of course):

"When is the new supply of 'medicine' is coming?"

"Mr. Fyederovsky promised that it would come in two weeks. Too bad the police got the first ones."

"Well, the boss will probably have a backup plan."

"Guess so."_ Creeek! _"Hey, what the-" _Thump! Thump! Thump!_ The guys were lying on the floor with bullets that came from Kurtis's pistol. Lara and Kurtis got out of the computer room. Something on the ceiling their attention.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Kurtis asked Lara.

"Yes, but you'll have to lift me up." Kurtis handed her a grenade. She stuck it between her teeth as Kurtis lifted her towards the air-conditioning vent. She opened the small hatch, pulled the grenade's pin and flung it in. Soon, the grenade was in the vent, releasing ether fumes and the hatch was closed. Kurtis quickly put her down and both put on their gas masks. They could hear coughing, groaning and the thumps the men made when they fell on the linoleum. About half an hour later, there was total silence. "Ok, let's find our man," Kurtis whispered.

They started to search the rooms, looking for Ahmed. Most of the rooms were filled with medical equipments and passed out men, buy no Ahmed. Lara found a box full of Valium (a tranquilizer). She grabbed that and another box of hypodermic needles, and put them in her backpack.

"They'll be useful to keep Ahmed calm," she explained to Kurtis, who looked at her with a confused expression.

"Oh, I get it. Let's go find him."

They searched the other corridors but Ahmed was nowhere to be found. Lara noticed an open trapdoor and showed it to Kurtis.

"It's time we split up now, Kurtis. I'll go in there. You check the corridor."

"Hello? Didn't you her the bosses? We're _partners._ We'll go in together."

Lara rolled her eyes. "So be it. Follow me." They dropped down the door. It revealed a brick room with explosives, maps, a computer and a green flag with a red crescent. Under the flag there was a man whose leg was bleeding. The man was out cold. The man was Ahmed El-Tabibi.

"Let's check if he's alive." Lara touched his neck to feel his pulse. "He's alive, pulse rate is normal, but we have to treat him. Kurtis why don't you call that man?" Kurtis figured out who she was talking about and dialed Darren. "I'll have to go up; I can't hear a thing."

"Ok, do that. I'll take out the bullet in his leg."

"Have you done this before?"

"Sure, in the Swiss Army." Lara took out her medical kit and treated his wound while Kurtis called Darren. She tied Ahmed, gagged and blindfolded him. Then she dragged him under the door and waited for Kurtis. About five minutes later, he called out from above:

"Lara, Darren's here! Is Ahmed all right?"

"Yes, he is," she replied and kicked him. Ahmed let out a moan.

"That's just the beginning, El-Tabibi," she said angrily in Arabic. She lifted him up and Kurtis pulled Ahmed's shoulders and pulled him up. Lara climbed up and grabbed Ahmed's feet; Kurtis grabbed the head. They took him outside and hauled him in the trunk of Darren's jeep. The jeep took them to the AFB.

"Are you sure that dose is enough?" Kurtis asked Lara as she gave Ahmed the Valium.

"Enough to keep him calm till we get to London."

"Ok then. The plane's ready. Let's get going." Lara walked with Kurtis to the plane. Ahmed was taken to the back where a biochemist would 'work' on him. The plane took off; Kurtis and Lara were so tired that they fell asleep.

_MI6 HQ, London_

_7:35 pm_

Lara and Kurtis were sitting across James Stevenson. Aaron McCoy had joined them too. James spoke up: "First of all, I'd like to thank you both on an excellent job. You were amazing." James was going to continue but Lara cut him off.

"Mr. Stevenson, we don't need to be buttered up. Not that we don't like it; but we're losing precious time."

Aaron started talking. "Ok, Miss Croft. Here's what's up. Kurtis, you'd better listen up too. This is the catch: We want you to go to Belarus."

Kurtis grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Why, to blow up that factory?"

"Yes, that's it. We also want you to kill Krzysztof Fyederovsky. You will come tomorrow at 9 am; a plane will take you to Minsk. That will be all."

"Ok then, see y'all tomorrow," Kurtis said. He and Lara got up and left.

_End of part 1_


End file.
